America will not be “cheated” by foreign countries that “extort” unreasonably low drug prices from U.S. companies, declared President Donald Trump on Friday.
Rolling out an ambitious blueprint to significantly cut the cost of prescription medication here and abroad, Trump announced he is directing U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to make it a priority to prevent foreign countries from forcing American drugmakers to provide medicines at drastically lower prices than in the United States.
“It's time to end the global freeloading once and for all,” Trump said during a White House Rose Garden event.
Trump did not specifically name any countries, but according to a report from the White House Council of Economic Advisers profit margins on brand-name drugs in the United States are four times as high as in more regulated markets, such as major European countries and Japan.
Earning more profit in such countries presumably would give drugmakers greater maneuverability with their bottom line to charge less in America.
Trump also singled out what he called greedy companies and middlemen, who he declared had grown rich through “dishonest double-dealing,” vowing his administration is now “putting American patients first.”
川普总统星期五宣布，美国将不再受那些强迫美国制药公司把药品价格压到不合理的低水平的国家的“欺骗”。
川普总统宣布了在美国以及国外大大降低处方药价格的计划。他指示美国贸易代表莱特希泽把防止外国强迫美国制药公司把价格压到低于美国市场价格作为当务之急。
川普总统在白宫玫瑰园说：“现在要永远终结全世界的吃白食。”
川普总统没有具体提到任何国家，但是根据白宫经济顾问委员会的一份报告，美国市场的品牌药价格比在一些欧洲国家和日本最多高出三倍。
如果在这些国家的利润有所提高，制药公司就有可能在美国降低这些药的价格。
川普总统还抨击他所称的贪婪公司和中间商。他说，他们通过不诚实的“两面吃”交易，大发横财。川普总统誓言他的政府要以“病人优先”。